CCH TEAM -July 8-15

Haiti mission - Thursday 7/8

We took a cargo plane to Pignon. A beautiful view of Haiti and the ocean as we apraoched the Island. The team visited the hospital ( L'Hopital De Bien Faisance) and met some the staff and patients. The team walked around the villge of Pignon. The people were receptive to us and the children talked with us and walked with us. The Haitian people are beautiful and loving. They are happy just to be living and thankful for what they have. They live in poverty, but are rich in spirit. The Haitain people have touched our hearts with their loving ways. The children held our hands and a couple of hugs. They talked to us in creole and french, and a few spoke english.
Friday - 7/9
We went Bouqueronne and painted the outside of the school and did vbs with the children. We played soccor, frisbee and jump rope with the children. The bible verse was translated to the children in creole and the chilren repeated the verse out loud. They were very attentive. Matt and Jacob did a skit of the story of Jesus healing the blind man as the story was being told to the children in creole. We gave the children crayons and paper to draw anything they liked. They drew pictures of their houses, chickens, pigs, dogs, cars, flowers, hearts, church and the cross. They were excited to show us their pictures. We also served them lunch. In the evening we showed the Jesus film in creole outside the church on a makeshift screen made out of a sheet and a tarp. The film captured their attention and they clapped when Jesus was resurrected. They understood the message.

Saturday - 7/10
The team drove to Bahon in the back of pickup trucks. When we arrived the people were seated under a thatched roof style canopy. There were chairs and table with flowers on it for us to sit around. They spoke about the blessings that have received from God through CCH. A Haitian lady led the people as they sang a hymn in creole to us. Their kindness and graciousness brought us to tears. They served us lime, passionfruit, and coconut. We walked around the vegatable gardens there. Then the team rode to the top of Matannwa on horses to get to a church. It was a very steep, rocky climb, but the Haitians did great job leading us up the mountain. The whole town was waiting inside for us. The pastor and some of the people welcomed us and spoke about their needs and were thankful for all that they have received. Scott spoke the verse John 10:14-18. Jesus states " I am the good shepherd. I know the sheep know me. Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep not of this pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life, only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the authority to lay it down and take it up again. This command I received from the Father." This verse speaks to the heart, we should reach out and share the love and hope of Jesus Christ to all people. Keith thanked the people and asked God to bless them for ther hard work. We showed the Jesus film in Bahon inside the church.
Sunday - 7/11
Half the team attended Pastor Gregoire's church and the other half attended Pastor Francois' church. They welcomed us warmly. At Pastor Francois' church the choir sang beautifully. Dr. Runion gave the sermon as Pastor Francois translated in creole. The sermon was about the story of Nicodemus. The people responded by saying amen during the sermon. Their intensity and passion for Jesus Christ was evident throughout the church. After the church service we talked to the people and the pastor. We showed the Jesus film at Pastor Gregoire's church in the evening. Again the people clapped when Jesus was resurrected.
Sunday Evening - July 11

The hospital administration had a special dinner prepared for the team, hospital staff, and other missionaries. It was like Thanksgiving Haitian style.
The team met for devotional time and we shared thoughts about our experiences. The team has been having daily devotionals.

Monday - July 12

After breakfast, the team returned to the school in Pignon, and put the second coat of paint on the exterior walls of the school. Then, we played soccor, football, jump rope and parachute games with the children. They loved the games and ran underneath the parachute and began singing songs. The team served the kids lunch. The Bible lesson was given next. The verse Romans 8:28 was translated by Wilkens (One of our Haitian guides who teaches the children at the school) in Creole to the children. They recited the verse back very well. The story of Jesus feeding the 5000 people at the city of Bethsaida with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish was told by Ellen and translated by Wilkens in Creole to the children. And a skit was done by Matt, Jacob and Walter as the story was told. We helped the children make a fish puppet out of paper bags. They were given coloring sheets with eyes and a mouth for the fish. We helped them cut and paste the eyes and mouth they colored on the bags. Then a rubber band was placed around each bag to secure the puppets around the hands of the children. Robin asked the kids to sing again and began to dance with them. Before long the whole group was clapping and dancing. Scott worked on a community farming project with the Haitians on Friday and Monday. He showed them how to plant seeds and recycle their crops. He taught them about a drip irrigation system from a well through a pipe and a hose.Scott designed a gravity based system that proved to be even more efficient. Using a 5 gallon buckets and with an adapter and a hose with holes in it run down through the crop. He taught them efficient farming techniques through soil conservation, erosion control and water quality, crop rotation and scheduling. These techniques create additional food and income sources. A community working together and helping each other in a Christlike manner shows God's power at work. When the team returned to the dorm, Donna and Ellen assisted with a Haitian woman in labor at the hospital. They worked very diligently with the Haitian woman, but she remained in labor all night. After dinner, We showed the Jesus film in Pignon outside the school. The Haitians watched intensely as the story of Jesus unfolded. Once again they clapped when Jesus was resurrected. After the film, Robin played with the children outside the dorm and gave them glow in the dark bracelets.

Tuesday - July 13

In the morning, the team painted some of the walls and tiled the floors in the lower level of the dorm. Ellen and Donna returned to the hospital to check on their patient. They assisted with the delivery of a baby boy. Karen, Mike, Dr. Runion, Robin, and Matt flew to Jacmel and visited the hospital, a refugee camp, and an orphanage. the hospital is in very poor condition as half of it was destroyed by the earthquake. 4000 people live in tents in the refugee camp in an area the size of a football field. The orphanage is small with about 25 kids. They drove through Port o Prince and saw the tent city and devastation from the earthquake. They spent the night at The Isaiah 41 mission house.
After lunch, the team members that remained in Pignon returned to the school. We played soccor, football, jump rope and parachute games with the children. We served them lunch. The verse Romans 13:10 was told to the children in Creole by Wilkens. Donna told the story of the " Good Samaritan" and wilkens translated by Wilkens in Creole. Keith, Jacob, Eric, Scott, Ellen and Debbie did a skit as the story was told. After dinner, the team walked through the village and visited the home of a boy that came to Bible school. He was very proud of his home and his family welcomed us. In the house next door, neighbors gathered together for Bible study. A man was reading Bible verses out loud as the people listened. As we walked into this small, almost dark home they geeted us warmly. They began singing " It is well with my soul" in Creole. We prayed with them. In the midst of the darkness, God's light came shining through. We returned to the hospital and gave stuffed animals to the children there.

Wednesday - July 14

After breakfast, The team went to Campbell's Orphanage. Bill and Jennifer Campbell run the orphanage and a small clinic there. They treat babies and small children for malnutrition and illnesses. They provide milk and food for the kids and the parents. Donna and ellen assisted Jennifer treating the babies. The rest of the team handed out blankets and food. Keith helped Bill work on a small building there. The rest of the team returned from Jacmel and joined us at Cambpell's. Matt help a boy learning to play piano there. Jacob played with the children outside. The team returned to the dorm and finished painting and tiling the lower level. Dr. Runion, Robin and Matt met with several Haitian ministers for pastoral training. Dr. Runion spoke and encouraged them in their work. They discussed future plans to continue training. In the evening there was a concert at Pastor Francois' church.Pastor Francois gave the opening prayer. The choir sang a Creole hymn, " If you want to break the sin, trust in Jesus". Matt played as the choir sang "God is Good", "It is well with my soul", " Lord I lift your name on high", "How great thou art" and "Trading my sorrows". The choir and the entire congretation sang the chorus to "Trading my sorrows" in english. Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes Yes Lord Amen! The congregation sang with one voice. The ladie's and the men's praise teams each sang Creole worship songs in perfect harmony. Matt and Ebans (Our Haitian Guide) sang a duet of " Shout to the Lord'' in english. Ebans Also sang some of the song in creole. The intensity and passion for Christ filled the church. After the Concert, we talked the people and hugged the children. A little girl fell asleep in Robin's lap.

Thursday - July 15

In the morning, we packed up. The team took one last walk through the village and shopped in the street market near the hospital. While were waiting outside the hospital,
a patient was wheeled out of the hospital. A severely burned man was left on a hospital bed in the walkway. His whole body wrapped in bandages and an IV attached to his arm. A pickup truck came to take him Cap Hatien. No doctor or nurse came out to assist this man. Keith and Ellen put their air mattresses in the bed of the truck. 2 team members grabbed sheets from the dorm so Donna and Ellen could wrap the man. Keith, Ebans, and Donna moved him onto the truck. Donna and Ellen tried extremely hard to put the IV back in the man's arm. Robin held the IV bag as Donna and Ellen Continued to try to find a vein for the IV. There was about 50 people standing around. Matt led the people in prayer. All eyes were on Donna and Ellen as they assisted the man. They could not find a good vein in the man's arm for the IV because God had a diffrent plan. the man was transported to Cap Haitian. Donna, Ellen and Keith made an impact in the lives of the 50 people watching as they showed compassion and cared for this man. They were God's instruments and an example of his love and power as they assisted the man.

Shortly after, the team hugged the children and our Haitian guides ( all of them angels!) and loaded up the truck and headed to the airport. This team and many more will return to Haiti to continue God's work here.